1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tent frame, and more particularly, to a tent frame for enabling not only more simple unfolding of poles, but also accurate and easy fixation of the unfolded poles, thereby achieving rapid and simple folding or unfolding thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, tents are portable shelters which are easy to dismantle, carry and assemble, and are usable in various outdoor activities, such as climbing, fishing, camping, etc. The tents are classified, on the basis of their shapes, into A-shaped tents, domed tents and tunneled tents, or, on the basis of their folding or unfolding manners, into canopy-type tents and umbrella-type tents.
The canopy-type tents are referred to as foldaway tents, which are designed so that their frames are manually folded or unfolded. Such canopy-type tents are usable as simple awnings for temporary rest.
The umbrella-type tents employ the same folding or unfolding manner as umbrellas, and their completely unfolded frames are like as an unfolded umbrella. Modern automatic tents are mainly the umbrella-type tents.
Tent frames serve to support the tents from external force to maintain the completely unfolded shapes of the tents. The appearance of the tents depends on the unfolding configuration of the frames.
Various modified examples of the tent frames are disclosed in the prior art.
As one example, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 275325 discloses a foldaway frame for use in tents or awnings in which a plurality of poles and link-bars are assembled to one another so as to be easily folded or unfolded in an articulated manner.
However, the tent frame disclosed in said Korean Registered Utility Model No. 275325 has a problem in that it contains an excessive number of elements and thus suffers from frequent failures of the elements and great skill is required to assemble and disassemble them, although it provides a tent with aesthetic appearance in its completely unfolded state.
As a solution of the above described and other problems of conventional tent frames, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 331627, filed by the applicant of the present invention, discloses a foldaway automatic tent frame.
One embodiment disclosed in said Korean Registered Utility Model No. 331627 is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tent frame of said Registered Utility Model No. 331627 is characterized in that a slider 3 is slidably coupled to the outer circumference of a top supporting body 2, which is located at an uppermost position of the tent frame and has a cross sectional area increasing at a predetermined region, and poles 9c and 9d are coupled to the slider 3 so as to be unfolded as the slider 3 slides upward along the supporting body 2.
The tent frame as mentioned above, however, has a problem in that the completely unfolded poles 9c and 9d undergo stress concentration at their specific end positions, showing a high damage possibility. Further, unfolding of the poles 9c and 9d is somewhat difficult since a relatively strong force is required to upwardly push the slider 3.
Referring to FIG. 9, the tent frame of said Registered Utility Model No. 331627 comprises elastic members 8, such as springs, elastic strings, etc., mounted in poles 9a and 9b. Both ends of a respective one of the elastic members 8 are resiliently fixed, respectively, to an end of the respective poles 9a and 9b. After the poles 9a and 9b are completely unfolded, the elastic members 8 serve to maintain the unfolded state of the poles 9a and 9b. In this case, the respective poles 9a and 9b are adapted to receive rotation force generated by torsion helical springs 7. Such torsion helical springs 7 allow the poles 9a and 9b to be more easily unfolded by means the elasticity thereof.
Said Registered Utility Model No. 331627, however, has several problems. That is, the torsion helical springs are difficult to install in the poles, and the use of the elastic members increases manufacturing costs of the tent frame. Further, the elastic members tend to be deteriorated in their elasticity due to repetitive extensions thereof. Upon damage to the elastic members, all of the poles must be disassembled in order to exchange the damaged elastic members with new ones.